"Everyone needs to be more aware of where we live and how lucky we are."

My 13-year-old daughter wrote this short essay this semester.

While you are complaining about the style of your shoes,
look and refuse to wear them. There are hundreds of children who have no shoes or clothes. Most kids complain about the color of their shirt or that their room is too small. If they actually took the time to realize how lucky they are, compared to children who don't have homes or clothes or anything. We as humans always take or complain without considering others who wish they had a home. We need to be more careful and be thankful for everything we have, and not take advantage of it. We want or think we need whatever catches our eye when others wish they could at least have some source to keep them alive.

While most kids in America complain about accessories or that one of their parents picked up the wrong colored shirt from the mall, kids in other countries have no shoes and only a small amount of clothes. In our everyday lives, we complain about how our parents don't want to run to the store or that your shirt is the wrong color. But we are a very rich country. Sadly, though,
we take advantage of everything we get and all the opportunities our country gets. Everyone needs to be more aware of where we live and how lucky we are.